Garage-door construction



W. D. .FERRES GARAGE'DOOR CONSTRUCTION Jan. 13, 1931.

Filed May 21, 1928 3 JI.eetsShe et 1 W. D. FERRIS Jan, 13, 1931.

GARAGE DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed May 21, 1928 .3 Sheets-Sheet 2 \VEZQ/TL w. D. FERRIS Jan. 13, 193i.

GARAGE DOOR CONSTRUCTION s sheets-sum; 3

Filed May 21, 1928 Patented Jan. 13, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM D. FERRIS, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FRANTZ MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS GARAGE-DOOR CONSTRUCTION Application filed May 21, 1928. Serial No. 279,382.

This invention relates to sliding and sectional doors of that kind in which a plurality of door sections are hinged together and provided with hangers to travel on an overhead track, and more particularly to doors of this kind that are required to slide or travel around a curve in the track upon which the hangers are mounted, whereby the entire door structure is moved out of the doorway of the garage or other building and around the curve into position at one side of the building, and within the building itself, thereby to fully open the doorway.

Generally stated, therefore, the object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement, particularly of the track structure upon which the door hangers travel, whereby a swinging door section may swing inward a distance until it is in position to lead the other sections around the curve in the track and into position at one side of the building, and whereby the swinging door section is always supported against sagging, and in addition is always supported at its upper front corner by a hanger on the track, preventing the swinging door section from swinging around or interfering or getting in the way when the door structure as a whole is moved out'of the doorway and around the curve, and into fully open position at the side of the building.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction. and combinations tending to increase the general efliciency and desirability of a door and track construction of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an inside elevation of a door and track construction embodying the principles of the invention, showing certain portions broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged outside elevation of a section of the track. r

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the front wall of the garage or other building, and of a portion of the side wall thereof, showing the track in plain view, and showing the door sections and other parts in such condition that the door sections may travel or slide out of the doorway and around the curve, and into position at one side of-the building.

Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing all of the door sections in fully closed position, and

illustrating the condition of the track at such time.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section of the track, on line 55 in Fig. 3 of the drawings. 7

Fig. 6 is a view similar'to Fig. 1 showing another form of the invention.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section on line 7 7-'7 in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical-section ofa portion of one of the door sections, on line 88 in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

As thus illustrated, and referring to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the building may be of suitable character, having a front wall 1 provided with a doorway 2, and having an adjacent side wall 3 of the usual or ordinary character. A straight track section 4 is suit ably supported over the doorway, and another straight section5 is suitably supported on the side wall 3 of the building. A straight swinging track section 6 is hinged to the end of the section 4, at 7, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. A curved between the straight section-5 and the swing ing section 6 of the track. When the section 6 is swung inward'into the positionshown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, it strikes a block 9 that is rigid with the curved section '8, thus stopping the swinging movement of the section 6 in alignment with the ends of the sections 4 and 8 of the track. A catch 10 is pivoted at 11 on the section 8 and is provided with a spring 12 yieldingly holding the catch in latching'position. It will be seen that this catch has a beveled surface 13, which is struck or engaged by the upper portion of the swinging track section 6 when the latter is swung inward, thus forcing the latch upward, but the latch then immediately snaps downward into latching position again as soon as the upper flange or web 14 of the track section 6 engages the stop 9 previously mentioned, as shown in. Fig. 5 of the drawings, thus latching the section in operativerelation to the sections 1 and 8 of the track. The latch is provided with pull chain or other connection for lifting the catch when it is desired to unlatch the swingingtrack'seetion to permit the latter to swing back-into the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. v V

The door structure comprises the sliding sections 16 and 17 and the third sliding section 18, which latter, as will hereinafter nore i ully appear is in certain respects ;a swinging ,cloorsectionuas well. These door se tionsa e sl pper-t by h ger .19 o -t e tra k, :as-shown, and the o s ction are hissedrtcee her by upp nd lower h nges. 20 (the lower hinges not shown), whereby the d or hinge og t and t y swing relatively toeaeh other when they are rnoved frQm: the doorway around the curve 8 and into fully open position on thetrack a on s d of he u ng floplose-the door structure, the door sections are moved back into the position which thsy oeeupyin F g- 3 of t dr ng the chain 15 is then pulled to unlatch the swinginga track sectionfi and the doorsection 18 is then pulled .ontwand into fully closed po sition, as shown in Fig. l of the .drawings.

This swingingdoor section 18, therefore,

. with the construction shown in the draw.-

ings, ,only swings inward far enough to cause the traclrsection 6 to engage the end o t e track s n 8, and, ju ugh t enab e th s c io o f rm the l adin section as the others follow around the curve into fully .open position. Therefore, the doorsection 18 does not swing inward far enough to permit entrance between this 'door section and the-adj acent side of the doorway, an en ranc i eff e y t e sl ding the doors-far enough to permit entrance between the section lfipi nld the other side of the doorway. F.or thispurpose, the outer sides, o1 ther or-sections. may a e s ita l han that can be graspedto open the door structure, and the doorstructure may have locks or latches ofiany suitable character (not shown) for locking or latching the door in closed position, if such is necessary .or

- desirable.

In Figs- 6 .to 8, inclusive, the construction is similar .to that previously shown and de: scribed. In this case,.however, the door sectionl16 has a special hanger 21 that travels on the track likethe others, but the hanger 21 has its lower end portion connected by anarm 22 that is pivoted on the hanger body at 23 and swiveled at its other end 2 on the. stem or hanger rod of one of the hangers 1 previously m ntioned a The door section 16, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, has a locking bolt and latch device comprising a vertically reciprocating bolt 25 having an overhanging portion 26 to rest upon the ledge 27 at the lower end of the hangar 21,. this bolt having a catch 28 pivoted at 2 9 thereon andextending through the belt, and provided with a hook-shaped head 30 for engaging an opening 31 in the hanger 21, whereby the 1 door section 16 will be lat'ched in position on the hanger 21 when thesection 16 is in closed position in the doorway. A rod 32 has its upper end pivoted'on thecatch 28, and a compression spring 33 is interposed between the under side otthecatch andtheshoulder 34 of the casing 35-that prov-ides a housing and guide for the bolt, When apull is exerted on the chain or other connection .36, attached to the lower .endofthe rod. 32,; the catch 28 is pulled down first, thus releasing the. door 16 from its hanger '21, ,so that this. door sectionean. be swung inward to permit entrance to-thegarage oisother building. The locking bolt portion 26,1when in; the position shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings,sustains the weight oftheedoor section 16 on the hanger 21, preventing this door section from same- In order -that -.thelockingbolt and latch V mechanism of the door-section 16 may be operatedfrom either the inside or the outside, a-mechanism of"the kind-shown in Fig. -8 may :beemployed. This mechanism comprises a tolding orswivel handle 37 mounted to move-up anddown in the-bearings :38 and 39 secured-to the; outerside of. the door section. 16, ,as shown. This handle 37 can-also swing .or fold ha'ck against the. door section 1.6, so that-thehandlewill not strike theside I of thewall when the doors-arein fully open position. On the innerside ofwthe door a fixed handle fZlOrlSSGGUI'Qd in place and provided at its-upperend with a pivoted thumb piece 41, which.'is movable up and down. The ar-rn .4e2 is movableup and .down with the handle '37, and is swiveled on one portion of this handle, to permit tliehandleto swing ora-foldback, as previously explained. :The lower .endofthe chain 36 passes through an .openinge3 in the thumb piece All and is securedin the opening .44 in the .arm .42, wherebyldownward movement of the handle 37.fro1n. outside the .door will pull the latch 28 downward and unlatch the door section 16 from itshanger 21 in the manner previously-explained. Also, downward pressure on: theithumb piece :31-from inside the door willlikewise-,unlatch the door section fromits hanger, ifsuch is necessary or desirable.

Therefore, with the construction shown in Figs. 6,7 and .8 ofthedrawings, the door section 16 can be opened to permit entrance ithout disturb ng th section a l if such is desired. In this way the door structure serves not only as a sliding door for opening the garage doorway to the full width thereof, but a portion of the door structure serves as an ordinary entrance door to permit entrance and exit without in any way disturbing the other sections of the door structure. lVhen the door section 16 is unlatched from its hanger 21, the arm 22 keeps the hanger 21 in proper position to be re-engaged with the lockingboltand latch mechanism, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings.

With this construction, entrance can. be effected by simply opening the door section 16 in the manner explained; this door section 16 can then be re-closed and latched on its hanger 21 in the manner explained. The door section 18 and the swinging track section 6 can then be pulled inward from inside the building, instead of being pushed inward from the outside; and the entire door structure can then be moved out of the doorway and around the curve into fully open position at the side of the building.

Without disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what I claim as my invention is:

1. Sliding door construction comprising a track having straight sections disposed at an angle to each other, one section over the doorway and the other on the side of the building, all inside the building, a swinging section between the two straight sections, pivoted on the end of the straight section over the doorway in position to swing into and out of operative position to either'oomplete or break the continuity of the track as a whole, and a sliding door structure comprising a swinging section provided with hangers to travel on said track when the swinging track section is in operative position.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, comprising one or more sliding door sections hinged to said swinging door section and provided with hangers also traveling on said track, said swinging door section forming the leading section when the door structure is moved out of the doorway and around on to the track section at the side hinged to said swinging door section and provided with hangers also traveling on said track, said swinging door section forming the leading section when the door structure is moved out of the doorway and around on to the track section at the side of the building, there being a curved track section between the swinging track section and the straight section at the side of the building, providing a curve around which all of the door hangers travel as the door structureas a whole is moved from closed position into open position, and when the door structure is moved from open'position to closed position.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1, havsections hinged together, a track system ex tending overthe doorway of the building and along one side wall thereof, hangers for said door sections, means permitting movement of the door sections out of the doorway and around on to the track section atthe side of the building, said swinging door section being the last or following section during such opening movement, andthe swing- 7 ing door section being the leading section when the door structure as a whole is'moved into closed position in the doorway, said swinging door section having a latching connection with one ofsaid hangers to permit swinging movement .of this door section inward without disturbing the other section or sections of the door structure, and means for operating said latching connection to disconnect the swinging door section from said hanger, permitting the swinging'door section to serve as a door to be opened and closed to permit entrance to and exit from the building without disturbing the other door section or sections.

6. A structure as specified in claim 5 having means whereby said latching connection is operable from outside the door.

7. A structure as specified in claim 5, having means whereby said latching connection is operable from either outside or inside the door.

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8. A structure as specified in claim 5, said hangers being disposed in such position that each and every door section is supported at both upper corners thereof to prevent sagging of any door section during the sliding movement of the door structure into open position, or during sliding movement of the door structure into closed position.

9. A structure as specified in claim 5, said latching connection having means to support the adjacent corner portion of the swinging door section on the hanger, so that the swinging door section is supported against sagging when latched to its said hanger.

10'. In sliding and swinging door construction, the combination of a track havmg a straight-sw m 129? theideonwewe f the build ng, and having g-e theri-str i ght eet o e h sid of he bl ilidieg, with curved section between thetWo straight secii n a plura i y- .o deer sections hinge tog he a d pn videdeq ea h upper-'m ee thereof with hangers traveling on said track, means whereby the entire daoiastructureis operativeto be moved outhofthe doorway and around the .curye into open position :it the sid f th uilding, s idhenge iheing adapted to support-each and every 091 section at both upper corners thereof, Whenthe entire door structure is in closed persi-tien, eans e ebyth 'sec ne t e-si' r the rd qm ey to ard which v hed or s ru ture moves in closing is supported in, ,clqsed position onsaid first i mentioned ,treek ;section and is adapted tobe "swung inwarde listance to permit-entrance to and exit fr- I-n the building without disturbingthe clesecl position of the other door section QI S6CtiOI lS.

1- tructure a sp if ed in .eleim o e f$e 1 hangers; ha ng? a separable cenueetion with t e swingiiigdo r s c- 0 t permit said inward swing f this seetion,

but the said separable collllection being c e vto support th .-,s i ging door section on: the rac dur ng th opening and l s ng movement of; the door structure as-a Whole.

Specification. signed this 19th ,dey ofgMay,

{WILLIAM D. EERRIS- 

